The latest Kardashian cash grab is a Botkier knock-off

Let’s be real here: The Kardashian family will put its name on anything you want them to, so long as you’re willing to wave a big enough check at them. As reality stars, that’s not necessarily a bad way to go about business – they seem fully aware that their shelf lives are short, and they’re socking away as much money as they can in the meantime. I know a lot of people seem to hold that against them, which I’ve never particularly understood. If someone was holding a check with lots of zeros and my name on it, I’d “spokesmodel” for any toothpaste, hair product or used car dealership that they might be shilling.

With that in mind, I doubt that Kim, Kourtney and Khloe had anything more than a passing involvement in their Kardashian Kollection (you can’t even make that up) for Sears, which was announced just a few days ago. But shame on whoever saw fit to add a nearly detail-for-detail knockff of the Botkier Clyde Bag to the line of short, tight dresses and jumpsuits.

When Botkier founder Monica Botkier emailed me these pictures a couple of days ago, I wash shocked. We’re all more than used to seeing cheap plastic imitations of designer bags at low-end retailers, but usually high-profile capsule lines are free of such obvious “inspiration.” How can a store or brand keep up the illusion (and it is entirely an illusion) that a piece was “designed” by a celebrity if it was so clearly designed by an independent accessories brand years ago?

Surely, Sears is banking on the fact that its customers either won’t have any idea where the design came from or won’t care, both of which are probably true. Still, though, it’s unfortunate when a big national chain stores that has the resources to design its own products instead decides to pick on a smaller brand that takes pride in its own creative work, particularly when the results of the design-pilfering are so widely publicized.

Other than the print and the direction of the zipper, the bag looks (almost) exactly the same like the Botkier one.

Joyce

I’d tell Monica Botkier to sue Sears and the Kardashians.

MsLabelsOfLust

SUE! Those Kardashians did this same thing when they had their line with Bebe! They knocked off a Prada dress design (correct me if I’m wrong)…everything they knock off of other designers and make their own..shameful..why the world glamorizes this family is beyond my common sense..

lisa

i agree, sue!!!!

lisa

can anyone find any old pics of the kardashians carrying the botkier bag????

aluxe

I have seen all sorts of knockoff bags from major stores (Target had a Balenciaga knockoff not too long ago, even BCBG had a Mombasa-looking bag).

It honestly is really distasteful. I do not shop at Sears, but I can only assume that the customer base that would buy this and other Kardashian product, have little idea how much this bag is a knockoff. They will just be happy to have a piece of a family they idolize.

Shame on Sears. Botkier can send a cease and desist to Sears. However, there is a possibility that Sears, with its bank account, might opt to go to court rather than do the upstanding thing.

Wow…

Botkier just got a new customer, out of principle.

James

I agree with you, the customer probably has no idea that the style is Monica’s and not Kim’s. I would even go so far as to suggest that the Sears buyer did not know. It is the person who put the collection together FOR the Kardashian’s who knew who knew exactly what they were doing!

James

I agree with you, the customer probably has no idea that the style is Monica’s and not Kim’s. I would even go so far as to suggest that the Sears buyer did not know. It is the person who put the collection together FOR the Kardashian’s who knew who knew exactly what they were doing!

I don’t follow the K-Klan that closely, but I realize they will be a tremendous marketing-savvy machine until their fuse fizzles out. . My guess their attorneys looked into how much they could “design” anything without being (successfully) sued for copy infringement. Just what is the fine line between “inspired by” vs. “knockoff”, anyway?

Lottied

Let’s hope that fuse fizzles out real soon :)

PhotoGirl

A Kardashian Kopy? Of kourse. If they had an original thought, *that* would be the surprise.

Beg to differ about who shops at Sears, though. I’m in the market for a new dishwasher and Sears is the first place I plan to look.

Erin

Kardashians could win on the argument that theirs is completely hideous compared to the beautiful Botkier.

19yearslater

I’m a little surprised Sears is still open. The Kardashian bag looks cheesy.

Courtney

What is hilarious to me is that Kim K would sue Old Navy (pretty sure it was them) for using a model that “looked” like her in their commercials but would agree to put her name is bag! Pot, meet kettle.

chloebagfreak

Very good Point!!!
I guess Balenciaga and Hermes should be put on alert for their next Kopy Kollection!!!!!!!

sophie

I think it’s really ironic that Sears is owned by LVMH – and we all know how much fuss Vuitton makes about imitations.

sophie

I think it’s really ironic that Sears is owned by LVMH – and we all know how much fuss Vuitton makes about imitations.

jason

WHAAAT? is this true?

Vivid Texas

Nooooo….it’s not true, LVMH owns a lot, but not Sears. But it IS true that obvious knockoff bag is completely fugly…. :/

http://www.purseblog.com/ Amanda Mull

No, it’s not.

Mousse

Filing charges for copyright infringement is one tactic, but I think the most effective way to stop the Kardashian exploit is to boycott their line.

Cathy Fitz

Not only is this an obvious copy, but it’s a horrible one on top of that. Reminds me of the Coach mixed-leather copies. Disgusting.

mochababe73

Hate to disappoint, but Kim has almost 9 million followers on Twitter alone. The line had a pre-sale (30% iff) and sold out of almost everything. I looked it up, and this bag is no longer available.
I like the Kardashians, but I have never purchased any of their “designs”.
Their marketing machine is amazing. If I were them, I would ride until the wheels fall off. And, let’s not forget, Kendall and Kylie are coming up. I smell a teen line in Forever 21 coming up. LOL!

Gloria

Personally, I don’t think that these Sears bags will do any damage at all to luxury brands. These are two entirely different markets and no one will mistake a K bag for the Botkeir.

Even amongst high end designers and manufacturers there is plenty of copying, influence and “inspiration” muddying the reallsource of a bag design. I’m not sure Botkeir is free of such influences or as purely designed as suggested. Every luxury designer seen to have produced a version of the Birkin lately? Why is it OK for them and not Sears?

As for popular retailer using high design as an influence, I”m all for it. Who says only the rich should benefit from great design?

After reading it, I am shocked that Monica and her lawyers waited until Thursday to send the C&D. Nevertheless, it is good to know that Sears allegedly removed the bag from its website. (Just checked, its not there). I worried that they would rather rest on their deep pockets than do the right thing.

And $94 for a non-leather bag? At Sears? Woah! That Kardashian machine works super hard. Good for them. Hope Botkier gets some good exposure from this incident.

jl

I’m quite sure tmz doesn’t read this blog.

Kris

Um…joke? Just coincidental…

sunflower

Good for Monica Botkier for filing a C&D. This is such a blatant rip off of the Trigger bag.

sunflower

Ooops I mean Clyde bag

Elizabeth Ann

I purchased a shirt and a pair of shoes from their sears clothing line but as far as the bags they are cheap plastic and poor quality, but you can’t expect much at sears, most of their bags they sell in their store are low end noname brands anyways because their customers typically don’t want to pay the money to buy the expensive bags!
The Kardashians bags for qvc are a lot nicer and atleast real leather and range from $100-$300 which is pricey but you get what you pay for if you want to only pay 20bucks then that’s what you will get is a cheap piece of platic that will last a week, but if you pay for the higher priced leather bag you will get a bag that will last for years!
I have ordered my Kardashian bag from qvc and a vest from the line as well I’m waiting for it to be delivered on Monday yay!